Australian Racing: Red Phantom to show true colours

There are a number of meetings scheduled to take place on Good Friday, including at Echuca, where the bet365 Country Discovery is the feature race of the day.

Race 7 Echuca

Midwest @ 5.50

Race 8 Ascot

Watch Me Rock @ 2.40

Race 7 Cranbourne

Red Phantom @ 4.40

Midwest to claim Country Discovery

The previously mentioned bet365 Country Discovery over 1000m comes up as the seventh race on an eight-race card.

Rey Magnerio is expected to feature towards the head of the betting dropping in grade, having raced in Group 2 and Group 1 company so far this prep.

The son of Magnus resumed with a Group 2 success over 1100m in the Herald Sun Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield in February.

Successful on good going that day, the gelding placed third in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate over the same track and trip subsequently.

However, the five-year-old has disappointed in two subsequent outings and he drops in distance following a seventh of nine in the 1200m Group 1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained MIDWEST is the selection here however, having registered some good efforts in Listed company this prep.

Those efforts include a second over this distance when racing on the Lakeside track at Sandown in January.

The gelding went on to register his eighth career success when racing over this distance down the straight at Flemington two starts later.

Midwest came home nearly two lengths clear of his rivals that day and he arrives here on the back of a Listed third over the same track and trip at the end of last month.

Barrier four is a positive here and, with underfoot conditions to suit, he looks up to recording a win under Craig Williams.

Rock to register Good Friday Stakes success

The feature race on the Ascot card is the penultimate race of the day, the Good Friday Stakes over 1800m.

A Good 4 track is expected with the Grant & Alana Williams stable holding a strong hand here including Fluro Neuro who is a three-time winner this prep.

The five-year-old’s most recent victory saw him come home a length clear of his rivals when contesting a 1400m Benchmark 72+ handicap at Bunbury last month.

The gelding has placed second at Listed level here twice subsequently, including when losing out narrowly in a four-runner event over 1600m here earlier this month.

While Clint Johnston-Porter’s mount holds obvious claims here, stablemate WATCH ME ROCK is the selection, having won three of his last four starts.

The son of Awesome Rock’s most recent victory saw him get home by a narrow margin in the previously mentioned 1600m Listed contest.

Regular rider William Pike, set to ride here, was on board that day having got the better of his main rival here when successful in the 1500m Old Comrade Stakes on his previous outing.

Watch Me Rock’s sole disappointing effort this prep came when finishing only fourth, having jumped as an odds-on favourite for the 1400m Listed Bunbury Stakes at Bunbury two weeks earlier.

The four-year-old is a versatile type with regard to underfoot conditions and any softening of the going would be no issue, with the selection having won three times on soft going in the past.

Phantom for Classic success

The Apache Cat Classic is the feature race on the Cranbourne card with the 1400m event set to take place on a good 4 track.

The Irish-bred RED PHANTOM looks well-placed here, having registered a win over this distance in the Echuca Cup on his penultimate start.

Red Phantom jumped at $21 when making all the running on that occasion and similar tactics were employed when he placed second at Caulfield subsequently.

That Caulfield effort saw him lose out by a length when finishing runner-up under apprentice Luke Cartwright in a Benchmark 84 handicap event.

Both of those outings came on good going and he is expected to be suited by underfoot conditions, with the gelding expected to get to the front to make all under Craig Newitt.